Extensive use IT use is extensive when IT is considered essential and used in most aspects of life (‘‘I use IT for everything”: store worker). Extensive users would rather not have to do without their IT (‘‘I prefer not to have to do without it”: CEO). In some instances, IT is considered as an extension of the self (‘‘My IT tools are so much part of my life. . .of myself. . .that I feel ‘truncated’ when I don’t have them”: Assistant Professor). In extreme cases of extensive use, IT use sometimes becomes close to an addiction, and use becomes compulsive: A great proportion of time is spent using IT, while everything else in life tends to be neglected, and users tend to lose track of time, with IT taking priority over many other elements of their private lives (‘‘As soon as I wake up, I look for my computer”: Baker). Although computer addiction is now a recognized medical issue (Wieland, 2005), it has rarely been integrated into mainstream IS models (Turel et al., 2011). For computer addicts, IT use may be perceived to be as essential as fulfilling primary, biological needs – such as eating and drinking (Maslow, 1954; Winter, 1996).
EXTUSE1 I use IT in all aspects of my life
EXTUSE2 I consider IT essential to every aspect of my life
EXTUSE3 I use IT so much and for so many things that I do not want to be without it